Danger in the dark

Every 2nd pedestrian accident in December at the crosswalk

(Bild: stock.adobe.com/AllyE - stock.adobe.com)

972 pedestrians were victims of road accidents at dusk or in the dark last year - most of them (198) in December. However, the fact that 40 percent of these accidents occurred on a pedestrian walkway is a cause for concern. Shockingly, in December the figure was even more than half. The call for a 30 km/h speed limit is once again becoming louder.

A total of 3434 pedestrians were involved in road traffic accidents last year, 52 of which were fatal. Of the 972 people injured at dusk or in the dark, 215 suffered serious injuries and a further 21 died. This is according to data from Statistics Austria, which was analyzed by the VCÖ.

"It is alarming that 386 pedestrians were hit on a safety path," said VCÖ expert Katharina Jaschinsky.

Paragraph 20 of the Road Traffic Regulations (StVO)

The driver of a vehicle must adapt their speed to the visibility conditions. In addition, a vehicle may only approach a safety path at such a speed that the vehicle can stop before the safety path.

More than 100 children involved in accidents
104 of those involved in accidents at dusk or in the dark last year were children on foot. "The driver of a vehicle must behave towards persons to whom the principle of trust does not apply, in particular by reducing speed and being ready to brake, in such a way as to prevent any danger," the StVO states. In addition, the "invisible safety route" applies to children: They must be allowed to cross the road safely even where there is none.

More 30 km/h required
Jaschinsky said that traffic planners should therefore focus on traffic calming and an increased 30 km/h speed limit in the local area. The stopping distance is half as short as at 50 km/h. In order to improve visibility, the stopping and parking ban should be extended from five to ten meters on safety paths. They should also be better lit, he demanded.